Metallic hoop for vessels.



' cated by arrow 2l in Fig. l.

UNITED STATESv PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN R. BOSTWIOK, OF CLIFTON SPRINGS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE LAURENCE, BOSTVICK MANUFACTURING OO., OF PHELPS, NEW YORK.

METALLIC HOOP FOR VESSELS.V

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters VPatent N o. 711,694, dated October 21. 1902. Application filed March 13, 19027. Serial No. 98,082. (No modali) "0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN R. BosTwIoK, of CliftonSprings, in the county of Ontario and State of New York, have inventeda new and.A useful Improvement in Metallic Hoops for Vessels, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings.

My invention is an improved metallic hoop for tubs or similar wooden vessels, the same being hereinafter fully described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

This invention is in the nature of an article of commerce, the hoop, formed in blank having surplus length, being manufactured and rsold to the trade, each hoop when put to use being cutdown tothe proper length, bent to circular form, and fitted to the particular vessel and place thereon to which it is to be applied.

One of the main objects of the invention is to so form the metal strips constituting the blank hoops that the coupling rings or links at the ends shall be permanently and securely held, so that they cannot readily become detached from the hoops and lost during the shipping and handling of the blank hoops or. while they are kept in stock or on sale.

Other objects of the invention will appear and be brought out in the specification following,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a horizontal section of a part of the staves of a vessel, showing my improved hoop in place thereon, the section being as on the dotted line l l in Fig. 3. Fig. 2 isa side elevation of a portion of the outer part ofl the tub or vessel and the hoop seen as indi- Fig. 3 is an elevation of a part of the inside of the vessel and the hoop seen as indicated by arrow 3 in Fig. 1, parts being broken out. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the inner surface of the parts of the hoop near the joint, a part being brokenV away and sectioned. Fig. 5 shows the con-` necting-link detached.

Fig. l is drawnto an exaggerated scale to better show the invention, the remaining figures showing the device about full size.

Referring to the parts shown, A represents the sections or staves of the vesseL'and B my improved metallic hoop placed thereon.

b is a metallic link in the form4 of an elongated ring for connecting the two adjacent ends of the hoop when completed to place upon a vessel, the .link being disposed transversely of the hoop, as shown.

In forming the blank hoop the end or head C is completed as shown in Fig. l, the other or small end of the-blank being left straight and flat and without special form, the blank stri-p having a length sufficient to form a complete hoop, with a slight additional or surplus length to cut away. The head C of the blank is of novel construction, being formed mainly `for the purpose of better holding the connecting-link without the aid of rivets. This head is formed by making successively two transverse bends or folds il lo near one end of the blank, making for the head three closely-overlapping .parts or section c d ean outer, a middle, and an inner-the link b being placed. and held between the latter two. Primarily and before the bendsvl k are formed the extreme end of the blank is given a short double vor reverse curve, as shown at h, which bears directly upon the adjacent part of the linkwhen the head is formed. In this construction of the device the sections d e of the head, which hold the connectinglink b, cannot spring away from each other or spread in a manner to allow the link to escape or become displaced, this being prevented on account of the action of the coniining and inclosing part 0a. Should the sections d e together become bent away from the outer section c by accident, the link would still be held securely between the inclosing curved end h and the opposing section e, as stated, and so cannot escape and become lost in handling or shipping the blanks.

` For the sake of cheapness in construction Athe link b is formed open at i one side, as shown in Fig. 5, or bent so as to have its two ends abut together, the opening being at the middle of the length of the link and the two ends held in the head C, as shown'in Fig. 4. By this means these free ends of the link are supported and kept in placeand form against the longitudinal pull or stress the completed IOO hoop is subjected to when driven tightly to place upon the vessel. This pull upon the hoop tends to open or spread the ends of the link, as represented by dotted lines in Fig. 5; but the section cl being bent down to bear at Z, Figs. l and 4:, against the open side of the link prevents the ends of the latter from,

spreading, and this part of the section cl being supported or reinforced by the closelyoverlapping part a of the section c the open side of the link is irmly held in shape and place. By means of this construction of the head of the hoop I am enabled to employ a link cheaply produced-that is to say, one merely bent Io form and without being welded.

In applying this hoop to a vessel measurement is made around the latter where the hoop is to be placed and the small or unformed end of the blank is cut back to give the blank the required length. The blank is then bent to a circular form, the small end being passed inwardly through the link and folded or bent back to lap upon the inside of the adjacent part of the hoop, as shown in Fig. 1. Previous to putting the hoop upon the vessel it is bent or offset inward, as shown at m n, to cause the inner faces o p of the sections e fto meet and bear fairly upon the outer surfaces of the staves of the vessel, as shown in said Fig. l. Thus constructed the hoop has three overlapping parts at one side of the link holding the latter and two overlapping parts at the other side of the link.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A binding-hoop comprising a metallic strip formed at one end with a head consisting of a plurality of overlapping sections of the metal strip held in close contact with each other with the free end curved, and a link held permanently in said head and engaging said curved free end, the opposite end of said strip engaging the opposite end of the link.

2. A hoop for vessels comprising a metallic strip bent to the form of a circle, with its ends connected by a link, one of the connected ends of the hoop having two overlapping sections and the opposing end or head having three overlapping sections, an outer, a middle and an inner, the link being held in the bends of the ends between said middle and inner sections, with the middle section curved to engage said link, substantially as shown and described.

3. A hoop for vessels comprising a metallic strip bent to the form of a circle and formed near each end with an offset, one end being doubled upon itself to form a loop with the free end engaged at said offset, the other end Iof said strip being folded to form three closely- `contacting overlapping members, the bend between the inner and middle member being engaged in the adjacent offset, the free end of the middle member being curved, and a coupling-link held in the adjacent bends at `the ends of said strip, said link upon one side `engaging the middle member and having the curved free end thereof engaged over said link, all substantially as shown and described. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, this 25th day of February, 1902, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN R. BOSTWICK.

Witnesses:

Enos B. WHITMORE, MINNIE SMITH. 

